Blueberry-variety Reka

ABSTRACT

A blueberry plant which bears high yields of medium-large berries early in the season.

In 1969, seed from a range of blueberry crosses was gifted to Ruakura as a result of an agreement between P. Bates (Ruakura) and A.D. Draper (USDA). The NZ objective was to identify plant material which was more suitable for local conditions. Over a thousand seedlings were initially screened in the first stage evaluation from which forty seedling types were identified as promising. Closer critical examination of these seedlings over several years, resulted in the selection of ten elite types. Seven of these ten seedlings had Earliblue, Blue-crop parentage and characteristically produced early maturing, high quality fruit. The remainder had Berkeley and Blueray parentage and typically produced later maturing fruit. These elite seedlings were planted out in 1982 in a fully replicated trial to determine their commerical usefulness, Puru, Nui and Reka, three elite Ruakura selections, are change seedlings arising from Earliblue and Bluecrop crosses. They are the product of careful screening and evaluation which has taken place over many years.

COMPARISON OF REKA AND SIMILAR CULTIVARS

Reka, also a seedling with Earliblue, Bluecrop parentage is probably the most outstanding selection of the three new cultivars. A consistently high yielding, early cropper, Reka is easily distinguishable from standard selections as well as from Puru and Nui. Fruit size is on average smaller than that of Puru and Nui (see Table 2), however other berry qualities such as scar size and shelf life compare favourably. As with Puru and Nui, the five standard cultivars that best compare with Reka are Earliblue, Collins, Stanley, Darrow and Bluecrop. Table 1 summarizes basic similarities and differences and the precise nature of these are included in attached tables and figures.

Physical differences such as the predominance of pubescence on stems and beneath leaves as well as the characteristic colour of mature stems and fruit enables fairly rapid field identification.

The drawings show flowers, fruit, bush habit, and fruit production data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF REKA

Seedling reference: No. 17.

Flowering habit: White flower with a delicate pink blush and faint pink stripe. Elongated flower (cylindraceous). Flowering takes place in the first or second week of September, which is early to mid season in the Southern Hemisphere.

Cluster: Large clusters of 8-12 flowers.

Leaves: Deciduous shiny green leaves, average length 63 mm and average width 36 mm with slightly indented veins. Predominantly ovate with pubescence undersides.

Stems: Slightly pubescence stems which are green/pink when young and turn pink/red with age.

Fruit: Moderate to large greyish blue fruit, averagediameter being 14 mm and average weight being 1.6 g. Small dry scar. Fruit matures from mid to late November to early January which is early in the fruiting season in the Southern Hemisphere. The clusters are relatively tight, have medium aroma, average tendency of the fruit to drop when ripe and low resistance to cracking.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Similarities and differences between Reka and five                             standard cultivars.                                                            Cultivar                                                                               Similarities    Differences*                                           ______________________________________                                         Earliblue                                                                              flavour         berry colour                                                   berry size      less bush vigour                                               early maturing habit                                                                           less precocious                                                                larger scar                                                                    extended harvest                                                               spreading growth habit                                 Collins early maturing habit                                                                           less precocious                                                flavour         less bush vigour                                               berry size      larger scar                                            Stanley early maturing habit                                                                           less precocious                                                bush vigour     smaller berry size                                             berry colour    larger scar                                            Darrow  bush vigour     larger berry size                                              berry colour    less precocious                                                                later maturing                                                                 larger scar                                                                    berry flavour                                          Bluecrop                                                                               bush vigour     less precocious                                                flavour         later maturing                                                 scar            berry colour                                                   berry size                                                             ______________________________________                                          (*cultivar differences with respect to Reka)                             

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Fruit production of three new early Ruckura blueberry                          selections, Puru, Nui and Reka, and five standard varieties.                   Yield per season (kg/bush)                                                     Cultivar                                                                              1       2         3     Year 5 onwards (mean)                           ______________________________________                                         Earliblue                                                                             0.2     0.8       1.2   2.4                                             Collins                                                                               0.2     0.9       1.1   1.6                                             Stanley                                                                               0.3     1.1       1.9   3.1                                             Bluecrop                                                                              0.1     0.5       1.4   5.8                                             Darrow 0.1     0.7       1.1   4.9                                             Puru   0.5     0.6       2.0   4.8                                             Nui    0.6     0.8       1.8   5.6                                             Reka   2.2     2.3       4.4   9.3                                             ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Average berry weights of three new early Ruckura                               selections, Puru, Nui, Reka and five standard varieties.                       Cultivar   Average berry weight (gms)                                          ______________________________________                                         Earliblue  1.6                                                                 Collins    1.6                                                                 Stanley    1.2                                                                 Bluecrop   1.7                                                                 Darrow     2.0                                                                 Puru       2.2                                                                 Nui        2.1                                                                 Reka       1.6                                                                 ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         Pre-Christmas fruit production of three new early varieties,                   Puru, Nui, Reka and five standard varieties.                                              Yield pre-Christmas as a                                            Cultivar   percentage of total production                                      ______________________________________                                         Earliblue  69                                                                  Collins    82                                                                  Stanley    67                                                                  Bluecrop   55                                                                  Darrow     28                                                                  Puru       91                                                                  Nui        88                                                                  Reka       95                                                                  ______________________________________                                    

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         General characteristics of three new early Ruakura selections,                 Puru, Nui, Reka and five standard varieties.                                                  Bush                                                                           Growth   Fruit  Fruit                                           Cultivar                                                                              Season  Habit    Size   Colour Scar                                     ______________________________________                                         Earliblue                                                                             v.      moderate medium-                                                                               light blue                                                                            medium/dry                                      early   spreading                                                                               large                                                  Collins                                                                               early   moderate medium pale blue                                                                             medium/dry                                              spreading                                                       Stanley                                                                               early   vigorous medium-                                                                               pale blue                                                                             medium/dry                                              upright  small                                                  Bluecrop                                                                              mid     vigorous medium-                                                                               pale blue                                                                             small/dry                                               upright  large                                                  Darrow late    vigorous large  pale blue                                                                             medium/wet                                              upright                                                         Nui    v.      vigorous V. large                                                                              pale blue                                                                             small/dry                                       early   upright                                                         Puru   v.      vigorous large  pale blue                                                                             small/dry                                       early   upright                                                         Reka   v.      vigorous medium-                                                                               light blue                                                                            small/dry                                       early   spreading                                                                               large                                                  ______________________________________                                    

Additional Notes

(i) Leaf measurements were taken on mature leaves and not at the time of full flowering as the leaves at this stage are still expanding.

(ii) Pubescence on lower leaf surface is confined to central leaf vein only.

(iii) Fruit diameter and weight vary within the season. Early season fruit which is produced on primary whips is larger and heavier than subsequent fruit produced on secondary and tertiary whips. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of blueberry, substantially as herein shown and described, characterised particularly by(a) a high percentage of total yield is produced early in the season, (b) medium-large fruit weight, (c) small dry scar tissue. 